The present invention relates to a process for the feeding of textile fibers to a drafting equipment, as well as to a textile machine with a feeding mechanism.
A method is known from DE-OS 29 11 744 by which a ready reserve sliver is fed to the drafting equipment in case that a presented sliver breaks. In this method, the fiber slivers being fed to the drafting equipment are monitored by means of sensors in the direction of sliver movement in the area before the feed point to ascertain their presence. If a sensor detects that a sliver is missing, the feed mechanism of the reserve sliver is actuated. The reserve sliver is fed in such a manner in that case, that the beginning of the reserve sliver is introduced at the point where a textile fiber sliver is missing due to a breakage or because it has run out. The reserve sliver is laid on a still existing sliver so as to overlap it, and so that it is carried along with said sliver and is fed to the rollers of the drafting equipment. Therefore, it is necessary in order to introduce the fiber sliver into the drafting equipment, that at least one fiber sliver is still present and is connected to the drafting equipment or has already been seized by the draw-in rollers.
DE 197 21 758 A1 discloses a device on a carding machine, on which a nap funnel is installed with draw-off rollers at the output of the carding machine. Between the nap funnel and the sliver intake opening of the depositing plate, drafting equipment is installed. The fiber sliver is drawn off by the draw-off rollers after the nap funnel. The fiber sliver runs via a deflection roller to a sliver funnel which is located before the drafting equipment.
The devices shown in the state of the art have the disadvantage that either a sliver must still be present so that an introduction of the fiber sliver newly to be introduced is possible, or that the fiber sliver can be introduced into the drafting equipment only by hand.